Apple Maple Oatmeal Muffins with Spiced Butter

I found this gem on Bunny's Warm Oven, I tweaked it a bit to suit my needs, as always but I did want to give her the credit she deserves.
These remind me of a cold winter morning when mom used to make oatmeal, with pure maple syrup. Always pure maple syrup, if you haven't tried it, please do, i know it seems pricey, but a little goes a long way. Always look for a container that says PURE maple syrup.

1. 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
2. 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
3. 1/2 cup milk
4. 1 cup flour
5. 2 Teaspoons baking powder
6. 1/4 Teaspoon salt
7. 1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon
8. 1 teaspoon vanilla
9. 3/4 cup real maple syrup
10. 1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
11. 1 egg, slightly beaten
12. 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided

1. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or use paper liners. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. 1. In a medium mixing bowl combine the oats and milk, let stand for 5 minutes.
3. 2. In a large bowl combine flour,baking powder,salt and cinnamon, mix with a fork to combine. Make a large well in the center of the flour mixture, set aside.
4. 3. To the oat and milk mixture add the maple syrup,vanilla, melted butter and slightly beaten egg. Stir to incorporate. Add the oatmeal mixture all at once to the flour mixture, stir until just moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Fold in apple and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.
5. 4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes, or till golden brown. Cool in muffin tins for 10 minutes. Remove from tins and serve warm.
6. Spiced Butter
7. 1/2 cup butter, softened
8. 2 T. pure maple syrup
9. 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
10. 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
11. Blend well. 
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13. Enjoy!

Sausage Spinach Pasta Bake ~ Taste of Home Contest Winner

This recipe came from a friend and fellow food blogger, Veronica, you can see her blog HERE.
I have made several of her recipes in the past and not been dissapointed. If you visit her blog, make sure you have a snack ready, and maybe a drool cloth.
I entered this in a Taste of Home contest on a whim after changing it around a bit to make it a little lighter, and never really gave her the credit she deserved for it. ( actually, my son was just starting to walk at the time, and life was very hectic, i really spaced where it had come from)  
To make a long story short, it won me $400, and was publishes in Healthy Cooking Magazine. I was thrilled and shocked to take second place, never had i won a cooking contest before!
You can see and "like" the recipe HERE on the Taste of Home website.

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute longer; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Drain pasta; stir into turkey mixture. Add spinach and cream; heat through. Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 10 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) whole wheat spiral pasta
• 1 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Grlled Chicken Fennel Soup

The flavors and colors really pop in this low fat soup. There is no absense of taste here!

2 butterflied chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 fennel bulbs (stalks with green included)
1/2 red onion, sliced
8 cloves garlic whole or sliced
1 leek (soft part only)
1/2 c. white wine
1 jalapeno, minced
1 stalk lemon grass
Lemon zest from 1 lemon and 1/2 the juice..or to taste
1/2 lb gourmet cherry tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
1/2 of 10-oz package fresh spinach
1/4 cup cilantro
4 quarts chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
Heat some olive oil in a soup pot.
Pound thin and season chicken breasts while doing the prep work. Then grill till done.
Remove stalks from fennels . Then slice the fennel bulbs in about 1″ thick slices.
Add fennel, onion and garlic to oil and sautee a couple of minutes.
Cut the leek into 2″ long sticks and add in.
Grate in lemon zest. Add stock.
Cut off the dark green “grass” part of the lemon grass & leave only the soft stalk. Slit it down the middle and stir in the soup with the minced jalapeno and bring to a boil and lower flame.
Season with salt and white pepper. Add white wine.
In the meantime, grill chicken breasts, season with salt and black pepper, and cut into strips.
Once the fennel gets soft, slice tomatoes in half and add to pot.
Now remove the lemon grass stalk from the soup.
Toss in chopped cilantro and spinach cook for about 5 minutes.
Place a few pieces of grilled chicken in bottom of serving bowl, pour soup over and serve.

Firey Sausage and Kale Soup

1 package chorizo or smoked sausage (we got the jalepeno sausage)
1 leek, sliced, lengthwise thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalepeno , minced (optional)
1/2 cup red wine
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lime
1 bunch kale, stems removed from leafy part
4 tomatillos’ chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 quarts beef stock (more or less, depending on your taste)
chopped cilantro
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste.
1/3 cup rice, uncooked
Veg oil, about 2 teaspoons
Sautee sausage, leeks, garlic and jalepeno in veg oil for about 5 minuites.Pour in red wine, stir. Add stock,beans, tomatillos, red pepper flakes, juice of lime,
cilantro, kale, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, add rice and simmer 20 min or until rice is tender.
Serve woth guacamole, tortilla chips, and shredded cheese if desired. I had picked out a Habanaro cheese, but i think the soup is spicy enough !
It’s not pretty by all means, but HOTT DAMN it’s good

Italian Lavash

>Hope you all had a great 4th of July!
With the heat index at 105 here in New Hampshire, you can probably figure why there hasn’t been much cooking going on at my house. (HENCE THE LACK OF BLOGGING) We’ve been doing the usual hot dogs, burgers and steaks out on the bbq.
Why is it that all winter we complain about the cold, then when it gets like this we wish for cooler weather? Seems we are never happy!
Anyway i just wanted to share our dinner with you, it’s not fancy, but it sure hits the spot in this stifiling weather!

~Italian Lavash~
Sundried Tomato wraps
cream cheese ( about 2 tablespoons, spread on wraps)
ham
capicola ( i used sweet, it had peppercorns in it, my fave)
salami
finely chopped tomato
“” “” lettuce
“” “” bannana peppers
Robust Italian dressing
coursely ground pepper
The assembly is really pretty simple.
I spread the cream cheese on the wraps.
Use 4 slices of each meat on top of the cream cheese. Add the provolone cheese, pressing lightly. Sprinkle on veggies of your choice, sprinkle with a bit of italian dressing and black pepper.
Roll up as tighly as possible, if you store it tightly wrapped in the cooler or fridge for a couple of hours it will hold it’s shape longer.
Slice with a shap knife and serve.
Like i said, very simple but a great summertime meal/snack for get togethers.
Thanks for reading!

Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program ~ Lea and Perrins Creamy Shrimp Dip and Grilled Chicken Fennel Soup

>As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Proram i recieved a coupon in the mail for a free bottle of LEA AND PERRINS WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE to try. , we have tried several different other brands and not been impressed, the flavors were just not as bold or rich.
Most people think it’s just for meats. I have used it in dips, gravies, sauces, marinades, you name it.
They have several varieties now: Original, Thick Classic, Reduced Sodium,and Marinade for Chicken, which i completely love. Here is my Grilled Chicken Fennel Soup recipe using the Marinade for Chicken.

The dip was wonderful, you can adjust the seasonings and amount of shrimp to your liking.

Shrimp Dip
1/2 lb fresh cooked shrimp, cooled and chopped
1 can cream of shrimp Soup
1 8-oz tub mascarpone cheese ( 1 8oz block cream cheese, softened will be fine also
2 -3 teaspoons LEA AND PERRINS THICK CLASSIC WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with crackers or veggies.
Here is the soup using the LEA AND PERRINS MARINADE FOR CHICKEN~~~~~~~~~~

LEA AND PERRINS MARINADE FOR CHICKEN2 large boneless , skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin.
2 fennel bulbs (stalks with green included)
1/2 red onion, sliced
8 cloves garlic whole or sliced
1 leek (soft part only)
1/2 c. white wine
1 jalapeno, minced (didn’t use, the kids)
1 stalk lemon grass
Lemon zest from 1 lemon and 1/2 the juice..or to taste
1/2 lb gourmet cherry tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
1/2 of 10-oz package fresh spinach
1/4 cup cilantro
4 quarts chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
Heat some olive oil in a soup pot.
Pound thin and marinade chicken breasts while doing the prep work. Then grill till done.
Remove stalks from fennels . Then slice the fennel bulbs in about 1″ thick slices.
Add fennel, onion and garlic to oil and sautee a couple of minutes.
Cut the leek into 2″ long sticks and add in.
Grate in lemon zest. Add stock.
Cut off the dark green “grass” part of the lemon grass & leave only the soft stalk. Slit it down the middle and stir in the soup with the minced jalapeno and bring to a boil and lower flame.
Season with salt and white pepper. Add white wine.
In the meantime, grill chicken breasts, season with salt and black pepper, and cut into strips.
Once the fennel gets soft, slice tomatoes in half and add to pot.
Now remove the lemon grass stalk from the soup.
Toss in chopped cilantro and spinach cook for about 5 minutes.
Place a few pieces of grilled chicken in bottom of serving bowl, pour soup over and serve.
I know that was alot to take in, but i hope you enjoy. I know after the hilidays alot of you will be dieting, and that soup is perfect.
Thank you so much for reading!
Oh ya, no lurking
~Kim~ AKA ~RED~

Lemony Blueberry Bannana Muffins

I was in search of a great blueberry muffin recipe, and alas, i found one from a bed and breakfast in Jackson New Hampshire. These are a lemony fruity bliss, you won’t regret trying them!

Ingredients:
4-½ cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk
3/4 cup melted butter, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup yogurt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon frozen lemonade concentrate, not diluted
3 tablespoons simple syrup*
Granulated sugar for dusting tops
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix dry ingredients together. Then mix wet ingredients and mashed bananas together. Add blueberries and fold quickly into dry ingredients. Bake about 20 – 25 minutes until test utensil comes clean. Let cool sightly, remove from baking pan, and glaze with mixture of lemonade concentrate and simple syrup. Dust with granulated sugar. Makes approximately 18-24 muffins, depending upon pan size.
*Simple syrup: Equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil and cooled.